Wire-bound-box machine.



J. H. GREENSTREET. WIRE BOUND BOX MAGHINE. APPLICATION I'ILED MAY Il, 1910.

. Patented May 9, 1-911..

J. H.. GREENSTREET.

WIRE BOUND BOX MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1910.

9919716.I v I Paten-ted May 9,1911

` 6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.v

H Y. @Ho/awww,

J. H. GREB-NSTRBBT.

WIRE BOUND B0X MACHINE. APPLIG'ATION FILED MAY 11. 1910,. l 99119716, 1 Patentedlvay 9,1911.

e sEEETs-SHBET 4.

Iza/.9. 4:

witness@ J. H. GREENSTREET.

WIRE BOUND B0XV MACHINE. AFPLIGAT'ION FILED MAY 11, 1910 WLM/wwwa J. H. GREENSTREET.

:WIRE BOUND B0X MAHINB. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1lI 1910. l

Patented May 9, 191-1.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

I jw l .i

/i/ `N- N" i Auru'rnn srarns j :rasoi:v II.- ennnnsrnnnr, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA'.

WIRE-BOUND-Box MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. PatentedMa-.y 9, 1911.,

Application tiled May 11, 191Q. Serial No. 560,759.

' tion.

.In themanufacture of box blanks from veneer or sheet material, cleats and strength-y A erung wires overlying the sheets and attached thereto and to the cleats by suitable staples or other fastenings, it'is absolutely essential, 1n Yorder to produce accurate blanks capable of being. folded into rigid -and shipable boxes, that the cleats be accurately spaced with relation to each other,

-and that the sheets be accurately placed upon the cleats and be accurately spaced with relation to each other. It is also desirable, in order that the blanks may be produced as cheaply as possible, that the cleats, sheets, wires and stapling mechanism be under the direct control of the cont-rolling operative and readily accessible by him so as to facilitate the rapid and continuous operation of the machine, and to that end it is desirable that the cleats be automatically and properlydelivered in regular sequence to that operative. lt is also desirable that the mechanism be such that the cleats may be delivered to the machine by cheap laborers who will not be required to exercise any greater skill or thought than is required to merely deliver the cleats to the machine in regular sequences', thus eliminating the necessity forthese laborers to deliver any spacing mechanism to the machine, as has been customary inthe most commercial forms of machines heretofore provided for the production of box blanks of the character mentioned.

The obj ect of my present invention is, therefore, to produce a machine having the characteristics above described.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation, of a. machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a side elevation; Fig. 3 a sectional plan Vomitting the stapling mechanism; Fig. 4 a longitudinal section; Fig. 5 a fragmentary plan of one of the cleat feeding` and spacing devices; Fig.

6 an elevation from line 6'-'6 of Fig. 5; Fig.

7 a side elevation of the cleat and sheet spacer; Fig. 8 a section on line. 8--8 of Fig. 7 Fig. 9 a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 4; Fig.A 10 a detaill'of the cleat-feeder operating train; F ig.v 11 a detail of the stapling head and staple-wire interruptor, and Fig.

` .12 a detail of the spacing linger..

In the drawings` 10 indicates a suitable d main frame in Iwhich is journaled a main driving shaft 11. The main frame carries two' or more longitudinal cleatv and sheet guides 12, these nary or desired orm and being relatively transversely adjusted by any 4suitable means, it being customary to make one jof the guides fixed on the main frame and they remainder guides being of any ordi` adjustable toward and from it. The character of this adjusting mechanism is now quite 'common and forms no part of' my present invention. The forward or 'receiving ends of the guides 12, 12 are arranged adjacent or over a cross-bar or stapling ,anvil 13 which forms apart of the main frame. Located above the anvil 13 is the usual reciprocating stapling head 14 which is reciprocated by means of pitmen 15 connected to the main drive shaft 11 in the usual manner.

The .stapling head 14 controls'staple forming and driving mechanism 16 of any desired type, 'one of said devices 'being arranged above each of the guides 12 and being adjustable in a well known manner. A y

Arranged above the cleat guides 1s arock shaft17 whichextends across the machme Vand is provided-at one end with a slotted arm 18 to which is adjustably connected one end of 4a pitman 19 connected to the main shaft 11. Shaft 17 carries a series of arms 20, one for each cleat guide 12 and adjustable therewith, and pivoted to .each of these arms 20 is a short downwardly and for-lf wardly inclined arm 21 to the lwer end of which" is pivoted a feed shoe 22, saidvshoebeing properly-.serrated on its lowerface- Abe of any desired length, but in order-that it may properly bridge the space .between Ico the lastsheethof one blank and the first sheet of the sncceediiig blank, l [ind it desirable to provide each shoe with an elongated plate 22 having upturned ends as shown. The shoes 22 are sulliciently weighted to cause them to properly engage the sheets of the' blanks. The lower ends ol the several arms 21 are connected by ehains23 with one end of a lever 2 4 the opposite end ot' which is extended to a point Within convenient cess of the principal operative and provided With a suitable handle 25 so that the operative may readily Withdraw the shoes from engagement with the blanks and thus stop the forward feeding thereof Without stopping the machine as a Whole. At the receiving end of each cleat guide I provide a sheet gage 27 and cooperating with this gage is'a paWl 28 the free end of which is normally urged toward the sheet gage by a suitable spring, this pawl being provided in order to prevent any backward movement of the cleats. The gage 27 lies at a distance from the vertical arm l2 of the adjacent cleat guide equal to the thickness or Width of the cleat, and at the receiving end ot' the sheet gage I provide an outwardly projecting cleat gage 29, the purpose of which will appear.

In order to deliver cleats to the cleat gltlides I provide, adjacent each cleat guide, an cndless cleat carrier 3l Which, in the iorm shown in the drawings, consists of an cndless belt carried upon suitable wheels 3S carried by shafts 34, 35, respectively, which lie parallel with the cleat guide. The carrier 3l is provided With a plurality of cleat holders 36, each'preferably having a forvvard short vertical flange 37 and a rear higher 'vertical flange 38, this flange being `ends oi these cleats being shoved up against suitably transversely stiltened for a inns-on which will appear.

Each ot the cleat carriers has to be advanced step by step in order to bring the cleat holders 3G successively into alinement with the adjacent cleat guide l2 and any suitable mechanism may be provided for this purpose. Conveniently the shaft 32, which lies closest to the cleatguide, may be provided With a ratchet wheel il oper-- ated by means ot a paivl lever Cleats Awill be deposited into the cleat holders 3G by hand in proper sequences, the toinvardv the cleat gage 1When a cleat is brought into alniement with its ide 1t may be shoved forward into position beneath a stapling head by hand, but lf prefer to provide a mechanism for this purpose in order that this operation may be accomplished either by power or by foot in order to leave the hands of the operative tree to place and Icontrol the sheets. l have therefore provided adjacent eaph cleat carrier a lengt tudin'al rod or guide 43 upon which. is slidably mounted a block Fivoted on this eeiffie block on a vertical pivot 45 is a bell crank lever 46 which, at one end, is provided with a spike or sharpened point 1i-7 Which lies substantially at right angles to the cleat guide and in position to be projected into the adjacent vertical tace a cleat when it is brought into alinement with its guide. rlhe other arm of lever i6 is provided With a slot 48 adapted to receive the end 3l-9 of the lever 5l. Each lever 5l is pivoted at 52 upon a carrier 53 secured to a rock shatt 5ft. .Carrier 53 is provided with a pair of adinstable stops 55, 56 between which lever 51 .may play and the lever is normally yieldingly held against the forward stop 56 by means of a spring 57, this spring being ot sutlicient strength to propel a cleat from its holder 36 forwardly into association With the adjacent cleat guide until the cleat comes into engagement with sonic obstruction, whereupon spring 57 will yield so as to permit shaft 5d to complete its movement Without injuring the spike 47.

In order to permita proper folding ot the completed blank so as to bring the adjacent ends of cleats into proper overlapping conguide, aspacing linger 6i which, at its treeA end, is adapted to be projected trans lsely into the line oit movement ot the cleats, be tween the ends ot' adjacent cl mts, and this tree end. is formed at its lowerjimt (52 ot' a sutlicient thickness and of such forni as to properly space the cleats, the shape depending upon, the shape of: the adjacent ends ot the cleats, and its upper part 625 is so formed as to properly space thc sheets ot the blank, as clearly illustrated in llig. 12. Finger (3l is provided with a cam portion Gel; which, at one end of the longitudinal movement of the linger, is adapted to be engaged. by stationary pin (35 which will serve to project the linger into the line of movement of the cleats and, at the opposite end of the longitudinal movement oit the finger, is adapted to bc engaged by a stationary linger (3G which serves to trai'isversely withdraw the finger 31. trom the line of nioveinent oit' the cleats. ny suitable means may be provided tor cai'ising the forward and return niovei'ncnt ot tingcr 5l', and these two movements may be either through the saine space or along different. trac s. In lthe present emlmdinient of my invention the linger l is pivotally connected by horizontal pivot to the upper end of a swinging arm (if.) pivotcd at its lower end upon a horizontal 'pivot of). (loir a pulley 72 and provided s lower end With a Weight 73, the Weight serving ner mally to draw tinger Gl back into its initial position in engagement with pin In order to obtain the desired. space be llt) use of interposed spacing members or blocksv I permit the continued feeding movement of the feeder shoes. 22 butl interrupt the delivery of staple wire to the stapling form- 4 ing mechanism. In order to do this the feeding pawl or plunger75 ofeach of the staple forming and driving mechanisms is pro' vided-with a projection 7 G beneath which a cross-bar 77 may be drawn so as to interfere avitliits staple wire feeding function to any ext-ent desired. This cross-bar 77, carried by lingers 78, is normally held retracted by springs 79 but mayfbe very readily thrown into interrupting position by the operative.

The step-by-step movement of the cleat feeders 31, and the operation of the stapling and feeding mechanismv should be under control of the principal operative and for that purpose many different devices may be provided. In the-present machine the main drive shaft 11 has a main drive pulley 80 rotativcly mounted thereon"and a single` rotation clutch connection 81, of ordinary form, forms the connection between the pull ley and shaft. The clutch 81 may be thrown" into engagement with pulley 80 and held in such engagement for any desired length of time by means of a shifting lever 82, rock shaft 83 and foot lever 84, the staple mechanisms and the feeding shoes continuing in operation as long as the clutch is heldin.

engagement.

Power driven mechanism may be provided for advancing the cleat carriers'31, if desired, and the controlling mechanism for such power driven `mechanism may bearranged so as to also control the clutch 81 las well as the clutch feeding spikes 47. In

tui'n, are connected by pitn'ien 9G, O6 withl 4the pawl levers 42 42.

It will be readily 'understood that the lever 85 might be moved through a complete reciprocationI bya single throw clutch mechanism under control of a foot lever, and that such foot lever might be so arranged that, after starting' the power driving mechanism for lever 85, it would pass into position to The operation is as follows: The upper portions of thel two cleaty feeding carriers will be loaded with cleats 101 in proper sequences and one of these cleats will be inV alinement with each of the cleat guides 12. The principal operative will then step upon lever 85. The first movement of this lei/ery y'will bring cam 92 into engagement with leversl 93 t cause the pawls of arms 42' to .engage ratchets 41 and thus move the' cleat carriers to bring cleats into alinement with the cleat guides; then cam 87 will come' into engagement with roller 88 so as tov swing shaft 54. The rst action of the movement of this shaft will cause arms 51 to swing levers 46 so as to drive spikes ,47

into the two cleats which are in alinement with the cleat guides, the stiifened rear flange 38 -of the cleat holder serving as anV abutment for the` cleat. The continued movement of shaft 54 will drive the blocks 44 forwardly on guides 43 and will thus cause the spikes 47 to project the engaged cleats forwardly out of their holders '36 and into the cleat guides 12. The spacer lingers j 61 have been lying in the path of movement of the forwar ends'of these cleats'and will therefore be engaged thereby and'driven foi'- ward. While this movement ofthe cleats is taking place theloperative will place a sheet 102 upon the cleats withits forward edge in enga gementiwith the 'portions 63 of lingers 61 so that the sheet will be properly lpositioned with relation to, the cleats, this sheet being moved forwardly by the operative. Thereupon lever 85 is released and lever 84 depressed so as toshift clutch 81 linto engagement with'the driving pulley- 80,

thus starting the stapling and f feeding mechanisms. The 'stapling mechanism will is repeated (springs 57 yield sufficiently to allow the cleats to beV shoved beneath the spikesl 47) until the 'forward edge of the blank comes beneath the f -eed slices 22, after which time' the reciproeation ofxtheseifeed slices, reciprocating alternately with the stapling mechanism,v wil-l automatically cause advancement of the blank through the machine. This advancement will continue until the 4rear ends of the cleats have -passed slightly beyond the cleatY gages29 where-v upon the operative will release lever 84s@ that it may be drawn back to its initial position, thus restoring the parts to normal and stopping the machine.' nieves to its initial position cams 92 will be As the lever 85.

withdrawn from between levers 93 and levers 95 will be drawn together by springs 1,00 so as to cause the pawls of arms 42 to take a nenT hold on ratchets 41. During the forward advancement of the first pair of cleats fingers G1'have been moved forwardly in front of the cleats until their cams 54 have been brought into engagement With the adjacent pins 66 and these pins have served to withdraw the fingers 61 from the paths of movement of the cleats. As soon as this withdrawal is eifectedvveights 73 Will serve to draw the lingers back into engagement with pins G5 but the passing cleats will prevent the complete return movement of thel fingers until the rear ends of the cleats have passed beyond the same, whereupon the weights will serve to drive the cams 64 of lingers 61 against pins 65 so as to project the fingers into the cleat line. As soon as this return movement of ngers 61 is effected the operator will take another sheet 102 and repeat the operation already described.

If four-sided boxes are'being produced the operator Will7 when the fourth side is passing beneath the stapler head, permit the feeding stapling action to continue until the rear ends of the cleats on the fourth side have passed beyond the stapling head by any desired amount and, in order to prevent Vaste of stapling Wire, he will throw rod 77 into position to interrupt the feeding action of the staple Wire feeder 75. This will serve to continue the forward movement of the strengthening Wires 103 so as to provide any desired amount of Wire between the two blanks.

The action of the spacer blocks (S1 is entirely automatic and it will be noticed that these spacci' members form permanent portions of the machine so that they cannot become lost or misplaced. Their action is entirely automatic and they serve to definitely space both the cleats and the sheets.

The cleat feeders 31 Will be keptilled by two boys and no especial degree of skill is required to perform this Work, it being merely necessary that the cleats be placed in the feeders in proper sequences. y

The cleat carrier shafts are journaled in boxes which are mounted on the cross-bars 111 so that the carriers may be adjusted, as a whole, along said bars so as to properly aline. with the cleat guides.

Carriers 53 are returned to initial position by a spring 112 which brings blocks 44 back'.

against adjustable stops 11 I claim as my inventi'on 2' 1. In box machine, the combination of a cleatguide, a cleat holder, means for shifting said cleat holder laterally into and out of alinement with the cleat guide, a spacing p member projelctable into and Withdrawable from the cleat'guide in front of a cleat presented by said cleat helder, and a propeller arranged to engage the successively presented cleats and drive them into the cleat guide to the rear of said spacing member.

2. In a box machine, the combination of a cleat guide, a cleat holder, means for shifting said cleat holder laterally into and out of alinement with the cleat guide, and a spacing member projectable into and Withdrawable from the cleat guide in front of a cleat presented by said cleat holder.

3. In a box machine, the combination of a cleat guide, a cleat holder, means for shift- .ing said cleat holder laterally into and out of alinement with the cleat guide, and a propeller arranged to engage the successively presented cleats and drive them into the cleat guide.`

4. In a box machine, the combination of a cleat guide, a cleat carrier comprising a plurality of cleat holders, means for bringing the holders of said cleat carrier successively into alinement with the cleat guide, a spacing member projet-.table into and Withdrawable from the cleat guide in front of a cleat presented by said cleat holder, and a propeller arranged to engage the successively presented cleats and drive them into the cleat guide to the rear of said spacing member.

5. In a box machine, the combination of a cleat guide, a cleat carrier comprising plurality of cleat holders, means for bringing the holders of said cleat carriers successively into alinement with the cleat guide, and a spacing member proj ectable into and Withdrawable from the cleat guide in front of a cleat presented by said cleat holder. v

G. In a box machine, the combination of a cleat guide, a cleat carrier.comprising a ph.-

rality of cleat holders, means for bringing the holders of said cleat carriers successively into alinement with the cleat guide, and a propeller arranged to engage the successively presented cleats and drive them into the cleat guide.

7. In a box machine, he combination of a cleat guide, an endless cleat carrier comprising a plurality of cleat holders suecessiveiy alinable with the cleat guide, means for successively alining the cleat holders with the cleat guide, and a propeller for engaging the successively presented cleats and propelling them into the cleat guide.

8. In a box machine, the combination with a cleat guide, of a feeding member for the 'cleats comprising a laterally and longitudi- .n'ally movable spur, and an operating member engaging said. spur to initially move the same laterally into engagement with the cleat and thereafter move the same longitudinally in the direction of the cleatguide.

9. In a box machine, the combinatin with a cleat guide, a carrier movable longitudinally of the cleat guide, a cleat-engaging spur mounted on said carrier and movable laterally thereon into and out of engagement with a. cleat Within the cleat guide, an operating member engaging said spur. to cause an initial lateral movement of the spur and a subsequent. longitudinal movement of the carrier and spur.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, i

this sixth d ay of May, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and ten.

JASON H. GREENSTREE'E. [L.B.] Wtnesses: r

ARTHUR' M. HOOD, THOMAS W. MOMnANs. 

